Chemical Reactions
by Kai517TeenWriter
Summary: Varian x Reader. One day at the science exposition, a young man takes the stage... And steals your heart.
1. Chapter 1

It's a beautiful, sunny day in the kingdom of Corona. You, along with hundreds of other people, are gathered just inside the Palace Square, watching as inventors show off their machines and gadgets to the kingdom.

You only came to watch because your father, an inventor, is partaking in the exposition. Since he was first to present, you are forced to stay and watch, much to your chagrin.

That is, until he takes the stage.

This inventor is very much unlike the others because (a) he looks to be about fourteen or fifteen years old- your age!- (b) though his face looks alight with excitement and joy, (c) almost anybody could tell that the poor guy had been through a lot in his lifetime. Also, you've never seen him around before.

"Behold, the power of alchemy!" the boy says, gesturing to the curtain.

A small voice from backstage mutters something- quite possibly "where's the opening?"- before falling onstage, making a fool of himself. Whether on accident or on purpose, nobody knows. But, frankly, nobody cares.

"Behold, the power of..." the short guy stutters, stumbling for words, "uh, that guy!"

The young inventor (or alchemist, or whatever) facepalms. Finally, after reaching some sort of agreement, the shorter of the two opens the curtains and reveals a device.

"I give you... the elemental remogrifier."

You let out a gasp, fascinated by the device. The boy started it up and shouted out information about it.

"The end result: fifty pounds of sand turns into..."

You lean forward in anticipation, excited to see what this strange young man has created.

"This."

He holds up a small indigo-colored jewel for everyone to see. Some people "ooh" and "aah," others gasp, but most just applaud him. You just stare at the young man.

"I call it," he pauses briefly, shooting a glance at the judge, "Cassandrium."

The guard behind Master Doctor Alcott St Croix gasps and you suddenly realize that the boy had probably glanced at her. And, for whatever reason, this kind of makes you feel a little... Jealous.

And then all heck breaks loose.

The inventor's assistant falls back, and the next thing you know, there's a knife flying towards the judge. Everyone gasps, but, luckily, the guard girl catches the knife before it pierces his nose. She stares at the inventor, who stares back at her. Both are aghast.

"Despite its lack of flair and panache," Dr Alcott St Croix stated, " I was almost inclined to give your device a... Mediocre assessment."

The alchemist was confused. "Flair? What does that have to do with-"

But St Croix continued. "However, considering your assistant nearly lanced my naval cavity, I have no choice but to disqualify you. Next!"

Everyone gasps, but you find you can't make a sound. Whoever this guy was, he deserved so much more than what he got.

He left the stage, looking forlorn, and before you can think any better of it, you run off to try and find him.


	2. Chapter 2

The mystery boy got about as far as one of the courtyard's fountains before he broke down. He sat at the edge of the fountain and buried his face in his gloved hands.

You walk up to him, gently putting a hand on his shoulder. "Hey. I... I saw what happened back there."

He slouches a little bit, clearly embarrassed and ashamed. "They're right. I'm a fool. All I've ever amounted to is failed attempts and tons of disaster..."

"What?! I've seen what you can do, and it's amazing! Revolutionary, even. You've got talent. It's just... Nobody seems to see it yet."

The boy looks up at you, curious and hopeful. "You... You really think so?"

"I know so," you respond, grinning, "a whole new element? That's nothing to sneeze at."

He grins, too. "Thanks. I... I really needed that... I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name."

You take a seat next to him before speaking again. "[Your Name]. What's yours?"

"I'm Varian. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too."

By now, Varian is sitting up straight, giving a little lopsided grin. He was pretty adorable...

"So... What branch of science are you into?" he asked suddenly.

The question comes out of nowhere, surprising you so much that you nearly fall backwards into the fountain. Luckily, Varian swiftly grabs you by the arm, helping steady you. But he doesn't let go, even though you should be fine.

"Are you okay?" he asks, eyes searching yours with concern, " do you need me to get somebody?"

But you're laughing, the exhilaration of the last moment finally catching up to you. "I'm fine, thank you. And to answer your other question, I- I'm not a scientist. I get... Decent marks in science, but it's not really where my passion lies, you know?"

"What are you into, then?"

He seems genuinely interested in what you have to say, what you're interested in... Already, Varian seems like someone you can easily just talk to. Someone who would listen to what you had to say.

"I like reading and writing," you admit with a shrug, "I don't necessarily know if it's what I'm into yet, but I enjoy it... Besides, it gives me an excuse to get out of doing chores."

He smiles wistfully. "I'm guessing you've got a family? Parents and siblings?"

"You don't?"

"It's just me and my dad," he murmurs, starting to swing his feet a little bit, "at times, it's just me and Ruddiger..."

"Who's Ruddiger?" you ask, curious, "you just said..."

Just then, a raccoon dashes by, brushing past your legs before leaping into Varian's lap- and knocking him into the water. The raccoon chitters indignantly, trying to get out of the water, and Varian rolls his eyes before lifting him back over the edge and trying to stand up.

"That's Ruddiger," he says, looking pointedly at the raccoon, "my best friend."

You look back and forth between the soaked raccoon and the soaking boy, stifling a laugh. "Do... Do you need some help, Varian?"

"Nah," he says, shaking his head as he tries yet again to stand.

Finally, he looks up at you. "On second thought..."

You offer him your hand and he takes it... Before flipping you into the fountain, too.

You know you're parents are going to kill you for getting yourself all wet, but you can't help laughing. After you brush your wet hair out of your eyes, you glare at Varian- but find that you can't keep a straight face. So, instead, you settle for splashing some water at him.

"Hey! Not fair!" he complains.

"Says the guy who somehow flipped me into the water."

"Fair point, I guess."

You splash him again, and he laughs, splashing you back. You're having so much fun just laughing and splashing... It reminds you of when you were young and carefree.

In fact, you're so absorbed in doing this that you hardly even realize when your father comes up behind you guys.

"[Your Name]," he says sternly, "it's time to go home now."

"Coming, Dad," you say, stepping out of the fountain easily before helping Varian out, too, "just give me a second."

Varian looks at you, still smiling, though it seems a little sadder now. "Good-bye, I guess..."

"Yeah..."

"Thank you for that," he says softly, "I hope to see you again, [Your Name]."

"Anytime. And I hope to see you again, Varian."

He extends his arms and you hug him, hoping beyond all hope that you would see him again.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been a few months since the science exposition where you first met Varian. You haven't seen him since, but that doesn't mean that he's ever left your mind. In fact, you have found that you're a bit more distracted now, lost in thought... Thinking of him.

It's now late fall, almost winter. You have offered to go with your father to the castle in order to petition something- something about spare parts and tools or something?- and... You just want nothing more than to sit down at home and read. Or maybe think about Varian.

Just then, though, you hear a familiar voice. It sounds like the voice is fighting with someone else. But you know that voice. After all, you have thought on it for the past few months.

Varian.


	4. Chapter 4

As the unfamiliar voice leaves- most likely to enter the throne room- you follow in the direction you last heard Varian's voice coming from. Right away, you find him standing next to one of those giant vases that someone, somehow, had been able to perch atop a mediocre-sized pedestal.

From the looks of it, Varian is pretty frustrated. He is muttering things to himself under his breath. His brow is furrowed, his eyes are focused on a muddy patch on the carpet, and his fingers are furiously tapping away at his legs. His face is flushed red and he looks on the verge of tears.

You quietly approach him. "Varian?"

He looks up, surprised. When he sees that it's you, though, he relaxes- just a little bit, but still.

"Oh! Hey, [Your Name]," he says softly, seeming a little distracted, "I... I didn't see you there."

You laugh. "Yeah, well, they call me 'The Ninja' in this area."

"Seriously?"

"Nah," you admit with a shrug, "they don't. They should... But, anyways, I call myself that, and that counts for something, right?"

Varian smiles. "I suppose it does."

"Why are you here?" you ask quietly, putting a hand on his shoulder, "I thought you lived in Old Corona."

"Which is still part of Corona itself," he explained patiently before becoming serious again, "and... There's a... Erm... We have a bit of a problem at home. Dad's in there right now, addressing the situation with the king."

Your face suddenly lights up. "There's a door that looks in on the throne room. We can go there and..."

"Eavesdrop? I'm sorry, [Your Name], but I'm trying to gain my father's trust, not more of his hatred."

"Fine, then," you say, already making your way past the long line of people, "suit yourself. See you later, Varian."

It seems to do the trick, though: you can hear hurried footsteps following behind you. You smile to yourself. As much as he wanted to impress his father, curiosity always won out for Varian, just as you had hoped.

Finally, you make it to the door. Varian positions himself so that he could hear and see inside of the throne room. You stand next to him, unable to hear. You can get a pretty good read, though, based on Varian's brief commentary and the way he clenches and unclenches his fists.

"Right to the king's face," he seethed, "he's lying right to the king's face!"

"So what? Whatever the problem is, it'll be okay," you say, gently touching his forearm, "it shouldn't be too bad. It'll be fine."

Varian kind of shrugs you off. "No! No, it won't."

He kind of hangs his head, almost as if in shame, and begins to nervously rub his hand up and down his forearm. Taking a deep breath, he begins to describe the entire Old Corona situation to you.

"Wow... That's- that's pretty rough, Varian," you murmur once he's done, "I'm not even going to try pretending to understand what it's like. But... If you ever need a friend, just let me know, okay?"

He smiles softly, giving you a hug. "Thanks, [Your Name]. You have no idea how much... How much that means to me."


	5. Chapter 5

You're not normally the type to lie. I'm not saying that you're perfect or anything- nobody is- but you do have integrity. But still, you're unafraid to make up a little story every once in awhile, mainly for the benefit of a friend in need.

In this case, Varian.

And it wasn't exactly a lie, either... You had told your parents that you were going to spend the night at a friend's house to help them with a project. You only left out a few details: which friend you were staying with, where they lived, and exactly what the project was.

So that's how you ended up walking to Old Corona with Varian. It was nice, really, a walk full of hills and canyons, valleys and streams. And the company wasn't all that bad, either. If you guys ever came to even the tiniest of gaps or fissures along the way, Varian would hop across first and extend a helping hand for you.

(Though you tease him about it, you're glad that chivalry isn't dead... At least not to him, anyways).

Finally, a village popped up along the horizon. Even from afar, it seems pretty small and desolate, with scattered cottages surrounded by farmland. Every now and then, you'd catch a glimpse of a jagged point or two rising from the ground, glistening black and blue in the afternoon sunlight: the mysterious rocks that Varian had told you about.

Seeing your expression, he chuckles a little. "Yeah... That's Old Corona. It's not much, but it's home... I guess."

As you get closer, you're able to make out more details: the men at work in the fields, the women chatting as they did laundry, the children playing... All of the people that were continuing on with their lives as if nothing was wrong, just as Varian had said.

You look at Varian and see that he's scowling at the sight. Without even asking, you can tell what he's thinking, what he's feeling. He absolutely hated the fact that he was the only one who seemed to be concerned about Old Corona, about the mysterious rocks that threatened to overtake it completely. He was the only one who seemed to want to take action, and that kind of unnerved him.

You take his hand in yours, gently squeezing it. "So... This is it?"

He nods. "This is it."

"And... I'm guessing that those are the rocks?" you ask, pointing to a nearby cluster, "the ones that just... Sprout up at random?"

As if on cue, you can feel the ground as it slightly shifts beneath you. A split second later, there was a sharp rock separating you from Varian, right where your arm had been.

"[Your Name], are you okay?!"

After a minute, you nod. "Yeah... Yeah, I think I am. It just took me by surpr-"

"[Your Name]," he cried out suddenly, "watch out!"

Varian suddenly dives at you, knocking you to the ground. As you hit the ground, the wind is knocked out of your lungs. Every bone hurts, but Varian hardly allows time for recovery. He's already on his feet, urging you to stand, too. As you try to get to your feet, though, you nearly fall flat on your face. Immediately, Varian's at your side, trying to help you find your balance.

After quite a few failed attempts, he decides to just wrap an arm around your waist, stabilizing you as you both continue towards the village. Slowly, your heart rate returns to normal.

But that was before you fully realized that Varian was touching you.

"I... Thank you," you say softly, casting an unsure glance at his arm, the one that's wrapped around you, "thanks for saving me."

At this, he seems to snap out of some sort of reverie. He follows your gaze and quickly withdraws his arm, his face flushing red. You hadn't really minded- in fact, it actually felt pretty nice to have his arm around you- but you had to admit that it was pretty cute that he was self-conscious.

"You're welcome," he said finally, awkwardly looking down at his feet, "and... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to touch you like that."

You wave it off, knowing already that it had been a spur-of-the-moment sort of thing.

"It's okay," you assure him before changing the topic, "but it doesn't look like we're too far from the village."

He shoots you a grateful glance. You smile, beginning to walk again. But Varian stops you by firmly placing his hands on your shoulders. You look at him, wondering what shenanigans he was about to pull.

You got your answer, though, when his serious expression morphs into a mischievous grin.

"Race you there!"

And he takes off running. You blink, surprised. You had not been expecting that, and now he had a fairly decent head start.

"Hey!" you call out, finally recovering, "not fair!"

He just laughed, continuing on. You roll your eyes but laugh, beginning to run after him.


End file.
